Лакку маз
Lak
NE Caucasian (Lak-Dargic)
Lak (лакку маз lakku maz) is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lak-Dargic branch native to the central highlands of Daghestan, Russia (Laksky and Kulinsky districts, plus Novolaksky after the 1944 forced relocation), with ~150K speakers including diaspora in Daghestan's lowland cities and Central Asian republics. It is one of the constitutionally co-official languages of the Republic of Daghestan. Lak has a 4-class noun gender system (with masculine, feminine, and two non-personal genders), an ergative-absolutive case structure with up to 40 case-form combinations including locative series, and an inventory of around 60 consonants featuring ejectives, pharyngealized series, and uvulars. Despite its modest speaker base it has a literary tradition since the 19th c. with poets like Mahmud of Kakhab-Roso, and Lak-language newspapers (Ilchi) and broadcasts continue today.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Lak
Water
щин
/ʃin/
Fire
цӏу
/tsʼu/
Sun
бургъ
/burʁ/
Moon
барз
/barz/
Mother
нину
/ninu/
Father
ппу
/pːu/
Eat
ккаву
/kːavu/
Drink
гьавхь
/ʕavħ/
Love
ччан
/tʃːan/
Heart
дакӏ
/dakʼ/
Tree
мурхь
/muɾħ/
House
къатта
/qatːa/
Dog
ккун
/kːun/
Cat
ккац
/kːats/
Hand
ка
/ka/
Eye
я
/ja/
Hello
салам
/salam/
Thank you
барчаллагь
/baɾtʃalːaʁ/
One
ца
/tsa/
Good
хъинсса
/qinsːa/
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lak-Dargic) languages
| Meaning | Lak | Dargwa | Lezgian | Aghul | Tabasaran | Tsez | Rutul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | щин /ʃin/ | шин /ʃin/ | яд /jad/ | хьед /ħed/ | штар /ʃtar/ | лъи /ɬi/ | хьед /ħed/ |
| Fire | цӏу /tsʼu/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏи /tsʼi/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ |
| Sun | бургъ /burʁ/ | берхӏи /beɾħi/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | буцӏ /butsʼ/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ |
| Moon | барз /barz/ | баз /baz/ | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ | варз /varz/ | бутӏтӏи /butʼːi/ | ваз /waz/ |
| Mother | нину /ninu/ | нес /nes/ | диде /dide/ | баб /bab/ | бай /baj/ | баб /bab/ | нин /nin/ |
| Father | ппу /pːu/ | атта /atːa/ | буба /buba/ | ада /ada/ | дад /dad/ | обу /obu/ | дид /did/ |
| Eat | ккаву /kːavu/ | букӏан /bukʼan/ | тӏуьн /tʼyn/ | ифи /ifi/ | ипӏуб /ipʼub/ | ишер /iʃer/ | ухьун /uħun/ |
| Drink | гьавхь /ʕavħ/ | даркьес /daɾqʼes/ | хъун /qun/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | ужуб /uʒub/ | жекер /ʒeker/ | эджин /edʒin/ |
| Love | ччан /tʃːan/ | дигай /diɡaj/ | кӏан хьун /kʼan χun/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | ккунивал /kːunival/ | уйла /ujla/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | уркӏ /uɾkʼ/ | рикӏ /rikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | ракӏ /rakʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ |
| Tree | мурхь /muɾħ/ | галга /ɡalɡa/ | тар /tar/ | тар /tar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ачӏи /atʃʼi/ | хыл /χɨl/ |
| House | къатта /qatːa/ | хъали /qali/ | кӏвал /kʼval/ | кьали /qʼali/ | хал /xal/ | ма /ma/ | хал /χal/ |
| Dog | ккун /kːun/ | хя /xja/ | кицӏ /kitsʼ/ | хвай /xwaj/ | хю /xy/ | жек /ʒek/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ |
| Cat | ккац /kːats/ | гата /ɡata/ | кац /kats/ | кац /kats/ | кет /ket/ | кету /ketu/ | гету /ɡetu/ |
| Hand | ка /ka/ | някӏ /ɲækʼ/ | гъил /ʁil/ | хил /xil/ | хил /xil/ | рекь /reqʼ/ | хыл /χɨl/ |
| Eye | я /ja/ | хӏули /ħuli/ | вил /vil/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | оьзи /øzi/ | ул /ul/ |
| Hello | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ |
| Thank you | барчаллагь /baɾtʃalːaʁ/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | — /—/ |
| One | ца /tsa/ | ца /tsa/ | сад /sad/ | са /sa/ | саб /sab/ | сис /sis/ | са /sa/ |
| Good | хъинсса /qinsːa/ | гӏяхӏил /ʕaħil/ | хъсан /qsan/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | ужу /uʒu/ | игу /iɡu/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ |
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